Cherry ICEES and Pink Dragons
by Hopelessly scattered
Summary: Gail meets the intriguing Holly and her adorable son Marty at a local fair. Originally written for Tumblr.
1. Cherry ICEES and Pink Dragons

Gail sighed, tapping her foot impatiently in the dirt. This line was taking forever, and all she wanted was a damn ICEE. It had been ten minutes just standing there. Maybe she could swoop in and use her badge, declaring it a cherry ICEE emergency? She toyed with the badge still in her pocket from her morning shift. No, she guessed it would be an unethical use of police resources.

Why had she agreed to this outing anyway, especially after being assigned fair detail tomorrow? Oh yeah, because fair means all sorts of food that shouldn't be battered and fried is just that. Also because Steve is busying working, and Leo is too adorable to say no to when he gives you those eyes and calls her "Aunt Gail". Traci had laughed at how quickly she had given in to her son's demands. She always gave in to whatever he asked of her.

So like last year, she allowed that cute face to drag her to the Toronto Fair with the promise of donuts and ICEEs. She had already had her sugary, fried doughy goodness. So now, if she ever got there, she would have that ICEE.

The line moved forward and finally she was next in line. She caught sight of Traci and Leo over by the fries station. Traci motioned towards the picnic area. Gail nodded and gave her a thumbs up. She'd meet them over there if she didn't die in this line first.

Finally after a few more minutes, she was in possession of her very own cherry syrup drink. She sipped it gladly as she moved through the mob of people crowding the fair grounds, trying to navigate towards the picnic tables. She pasted by a few of the game stations. She and Traci would have to try the shooting game. They'd win Leo a giant stuffed animal. She was about to round the water pistol game when she overheard a kid arguing with his mom.

"Mom! I want to have someone to play with!"

"I'll play with you, sweetie."

"But you'll just let me win! I want to _beat_ someone!"

Gail was laughing when she finally came around the corner. The determinedness in that statement from such a young kid to beat someone at this game was something she could admire.

The mom turned, and Gail stopped in her tracks. _Woah_. All the air felt like it had vacated her lungs. That was an…odd reaction. She took a deep breath, and locked eyes with those deep brown ones hiding behind adorably dorky glasses. The mom was tall, taller than Gail, with tanned skin and long brown hair, probably around 30. The little boy sitting on the round stool in front of her looked like a 7 year-old tiny carbon copy. His wavy hair fell onto the front of his thin bottle cap glasses. His hazel brown eyes also looked up at her with curiosity.

"Hi." Why the hell did she say that?

The mom smiled, a bit lopsided and questioning, but friendly. "Hello."

"Wanna play?" the boy exclaimed and gave her the biggest of puppy-dog eyes. They rivaled Leo or Chris's. She felt herself caving.

"No, honey, I'm sure this nice lady has better things to do," the mom said, her cheeks turning a bit pink. She gave a bit of a 'kids-what-can-you-do' shrug.

Gail winked at her, rounding the stools to sit down beside the boy, plopping her drink down beside the gun. "What better things than to kick some nerd booty at water guns?"

The boy laughed. "No, I'll kick _your_ booty!"

Gail hummed. "We shall see, small-pint."

The mom blinked, a bit dumb struck by this blonde stranger. "You really don't have to."

Gail shot the woman her best smile. "Oh, no, I think I do. Because I'm going to win."

The boy shifted in his seat and gripped at the gun tightly. "In your dreams!"

"In _your _dreams, maybe," Gail assured, turning her attention to the game attendant. "How much?"

"Three each," the man said, adjusting his apron full of money.

Gail and the woman both moved to pay him. The woman turned to Gail. "No, let me. Please."

Gail shook her head. "I got it."

The mom reached up, placing her spare hand over Gail's. Gail inhaled sharply at the contact. While she was distracted, the woman handed the man the money for both of them.

Gail sunk back onto the stool. "You didn't have to…"

The mom gave her that lop-sided smile again, but before she could say anything else, the boy drew both their attention. He bounced up and down in excitement.

"Get ready!" he said, hunching over and squinting in concentration at the target. "You know how?"

Gail mirrored his position. "Don't worry about me, kid. I got this. Prepare to go down."

The boy stuck out his tongue, folding over his top lip in concentration. It was adorable, and Gail knew her face showed how much that melted her inside. She caught the mom's stare for a moment before: _BUZZZZZZ._

And they were off, the small grey horses and their different colored jockeys lurched into motion. The boy had sloppy aim, hitting mostly the side of the target rather than the center. Gail, however, expert shooter that she was, was hardly paying attention to her aim. She knew exactly where to hit to keep them neck and neck.

She took the time they had to study the mom from the corner of her eye. She wasn't sure why she was invested, but the way the brunette was gazing at her son, jumping up and down with encouraging words, just warmed her in a way she couldn't explain.

She turned her attention back to the board. She was a good few inches in front of the boy's horse. She casually pushed her gun up so she was no longer hitting the target, but the edge right above it.

He gained on her quickly. As his horse past hers, she leaned her gun back down, so they were almost neck and neck.

"You can do it, Marty! Go, go!" the mom chanted.

Gail tilted up, and the buzzer went off. The light above Marty's target lite up and spun. It took a brief moment before the boy had realized he had done it. His whole face transformed into sheer and utter bliss, in a way only a child's excitement can produce.

Gail crossed her arms, pretending to pout. "Obviously this game is rigged."

She felt a tug on her arm. Marty was looking at her with a little broken hearted expression. "I'm sorry you lost. Do you want my stuffed animal?"

Her heart caved in. "Nah, that's alright, you pick out a good one though, yeah?"

He nodded, the smile bursting across his face. He turned to his mom. "Which one should I get, momma?"

The woman shrugged. "Whichever one you want baby."

She turned her attention to the game attendant. "Which ones are his options?"

"Right here, ma'am." The attendant motioned to the smaller toys.

"What about that one?" Marty asked, pointing at the medium sized dragon toys.

"You have to win twice for that."

Gail was up with her wallet out immediately handing the man more money. "Round two, little dude."

"No really, you don't…" the mom started to protest, but Gail held up a hand.

"Really, I want to kick your son's butt," she assured her with a wink.

The woman deflated. She looked so grateful that Gail had to turn away to hide her blush.

"Alright, Marty was it?" she asked the boy.

He nodded, sticking out his hand. Gail chuckled and took it. "I'm Gail."

They shook.

This time when the game began, Gail let Marty take the lead at the start. Though she made sure to keep her horse right behind his. The attendant even got into it, grabbing his mic to narrate like a real racetrack announcer.

"And it's number 8 heading the pack with number 7 right on his tail. It's gonna be a close one folks."

The mom was once again cheering her son on, encouraging him to race faster, to keep going. Her enthusiasm made Gail smile.

"And we're coming into the final stretch with number 8 in the lead, can 7 make a final come back or will it be…NO, it's number 8, pulling off a very impressive victory!"

Marty laughed and jumped up and down in celebration. He launched himself at Gail. She jolted in surprise, but allowed the little boy to hug her round the middle in his excitement. When he pulled back, she held out her hand. He took it, but tilted his head in confusion. She shook their hands slowly.

"My grandmother always told me to take losing well, and to tell the winner, congratulations. So, congratulations, Marty," she told him.

He smiled, big and toothy. He was missing a few here and there. "Thank you, Miss Gail."

He was adorable and sweet.

"Alright, little man, what color do you want your dragon to be?" the attendant asked. He held up the green and blue options, but Marty's gaze scanned over and fell to the pink one still on the shelf.

"That one, please. The pink one," he asked, pointing at it.

The attendant glanced over his shoulder at where he was pointing and frowned. Gail saw the mom tense.

"But that's for girls," the attendant told Marty, shaking the two in his hands, "You want the green or blue ones."

Marty hesitated, clearly confused. He wanted the pink one, but this man was telling him he couldn't have them because they were for girls and he was a boy. Gail's jaw tightened.

"He would like the pink, please," his mom insisted. Gone was the happy, kind expression replaced with a hardened look that screamed mother.

"But that's for girls," the attendant repeated. He held up the green and blue one. "Here buddy pick one of these."

_That's it_, she thought harshly. She stood, putting on her very best bitch face. "The kid said he wanted the pink one. He won both the games. That's the rules. That is a prize option. Now give him the pink one."

The attendant was obviously growing agitated. "Ma'am, I cannot in good conscience give that boy a pink toy."

"And why not!?" she demanded.

"Because it'll…" the man hesitated, casting a look back and forth, and she knew exactly what he was going to say.

"Be careful," she warned, "What the next words out of your mouth are. If you say one homophobic thing to this darling child, you will be out of a job so fast it'll turn your hair pink."

The mom let out a surprised laugh at that. Gail grinned at her briefly, before turning back to the attendant, who had straightened.

"Ma'am, I don't like threats," he said, playing with the knobs on the walkie-talkie at his belt. "Do I need to call security?"

She brightened at that, reaching into her pocket. "Oh, yes, please do. Ask your head of security to contact the staff sergeant in charge of providing the officers for this little shin-dig. He's a nice guy, Oliver, a good friend."

As she said friend, she pulled out the badge from her back pocket to flash it casually at the man. His face whitened considerably.

"Oh, I'm…" he fumbled, utterly flustered, still casting a glance towards the security booth.

"Don't say your sorry," she said, "You aren't, so don't pretend to be. Just give the kid his pink dragon."

The attendant practically threw the toy at Marty. Marty didn't seem to mind though, once he got it in his hands he basically latched onto it. He pulled it to his chest, hugging it with all his might.

Gail gave the attendant her best bitch smile, before turning her attention to Marty and his mom. She smiled genuinely down at the boy, whose face was now buried in the fur.

"So what's its name kid?"

Big eyes gazed up at her. "Patricia."

Gail nodded. "Patricia, good name."

She glanced up at Marty's mom, and was taken aback by the look on her face. She had tears in her eyes.

"Thank you, Gail," she whispered, holding out her hand.

Gail hesitated for a moment before taking it. They didn't shake they just held their hands between them for a moment.

Finally, Gail cleared her throat. "You're welcome…"

She realized she didn't know her name.

The woman smiled. "Holly. Holly Stewart, and this is my son, Martin Stewart."

"Gail Peck."

"Would you like to join us, Gail Peck, for some rides?"

Just then, Traci and Leo came around the corner. Traci was searching the crowd confused, until she spotted Gail. She waved, nudging Leo with her leg. He spotted her, and tried to run to her, but his mother pulled at the back of his shirt. He pouted, and they started walking towards them.

"Your wife?"

Holly's voice drew Gail back in. She blinked. Whose wife? Traci? Her wife? She let out a bark of a laugh. "No, no, brother's fiancé and her kid."

"Oh," Holly said, casually, but Gail thought she heard it lift a little.

"I'm not married, or currently partnered up. Unless you count a police partner."

What on earth made her say something so lame? Why on earth did she offer up any of that information? She couldn't help the smile that broke out on her face as Holly seemed to perk up by this knowledge.

"Would you like to join us?" she asked hopefully.

Holly glanced down at her son. "What'd'ya say, Marty? Think you wanna hang out with Gail for a bit longer?"

When Marty withdrew his face from the dragon, Patricia, he nodded vigorously. "Yeah."

"Alright, then," Holly said, catching Gail's eye.

Gail was definitely glad she had come to the fair today. She was totally going to win Leo a giant teddy bear. And a pink one for Marty.


	2. Blue Dresses & Fairy Prince Crowns

Gail had been left.

Again.

She shouldn't be surprised. This was her entire childhood. Why should adulthood be any different?

Her mother had dragged her out early on a Saturday, her only day off that week, to go shopping for a dress for some fancy party she was planning to have next month. Why they had to go then was beyond her? But they did end up finding something: a beautiful long Catalina blue dress with a high neck and straps that crisscrossed over an oblong open back. The subtle inlaid sequins sparkled along the bodice as she moved. It was elegant and made her eyes shine.

Now in possession of this gorgeous dress, she was stuck. Literally, she had no ride from the mall. Her mother had gotten a phone call right after declaring that dress the one, and had swept into her dressing room to kiss her cheek, saying she had to leave, not waiting for Gail to get dressed, swept right back out and left.

Once Gail had fumbled into her boots, falling as she tried to walk and lace, she realized it was too late. Hurricane Elaine had come and gone. She was stranded. She could either call up someone, or risk her beautiful dress on the bus.

It wasn't the worst place Elaine had left her. Nothing was worse the time she had been promised a real family outing to their lake cabin when she was awoken in the middle of nowhere from a dead sleep in the backseat of the car to be dropped off in the woods, unsure of where she was or how to get home. She was told to be at the lake cabin by sundown the next day. She had made it, just barely, but the scars, emotional and physical, lingered. She guessed she could deal with getting home from the mall. At least there were soft pretzels here.

She was making her way through the department store when she heard a familiar voice coming from the nearby girl's section. Gail skidded to a halt; whipping her head around so quickly she made herself dizzy. That was Holly's voice. She was positive. It was a skill she had picked up being a cop, remembering people's voices after only spending one day with them. It had nothing to do with the woman herself. Nope, nothing at all.

"Mom!" Marty's adorable enthusiasm had her smiling as she moved through the racks, trying to locate them. "Mom, what about this one?"

"That one is very nice, Martin." Holly always spoke to her son in a soothing and encouraging tone. It warmed Gail's heart, picturing her stooped down; examining whatever Marty was showing her, face full of concentration and interest.

She rounded a rack of dresses, and there they were. Holly was, as she imagined, squatting down on the floor looking over the big pink tulle dress with bright silver sequins around the strapless top. Marty was holding it up to himself, proudly. He was the first to spot her. His eyes went wide behind those bottle-cap glasses, and excitement flooded his face.

Holly turned to see what he was looking at, and Gail waved rather lamely at her.

"Gail!" She started in surprise. She quickly glanced around them, before looking back up at her confused. "What're you doing here?"

Gail held up her dress. "Uh, what does one do in a department store? Shop."

Holly gave her that lopsided smile, standing up so she was now looking a bit down at Gail. "Right, of course."

"So what are you two doing?" she asked, looking from Holly to Marty to the dress. "Picking out a snazzy outfit too, huh?"

Marty nodded, thrusting his selection up in the air. "I picked this one!"

Gail shook her head in approval. "But you know what this needs?"

Martin glanced at his mother, who shrugged, before giving Gail his full attention. "What?"

"Accessories," she said, "A pretty dress can never go wrong with a few accessories."

His eyes went wide. "A crown?"

Gail laughed breathily. "Absolutely a crown. How else will others know you're a princess?"

"Prince!" he said as he rushed towards the section across from them.

"Of course, sorry, prince," she said. Holly caught her eye, and they exchanged soft smiles.

"You know…"

"Holly Stewart, don't you finish that sentence with "you don't have to," she said, rounding on her friend so they stopped, inches apart. She lowered her voice. "I know I don't _have_ to, but I _want_ to. I…I've grown rather fond of your son…and you."

She felt heat rising up her neck, and she turned quickly before it spread to her face. Not quick enough that she didn't catch the pleased expression on Holly's face.

She headed straight for Marty who was comparing two tiaras. He was adorable.

"Gail!" he called out, holding up the options. "Which one?"

Gail glanced at Holly with a large grin. She found the brunette returning that smile right back.

Later when they went to check out, Gail could feel Holly start to tense as they neared the register. Marty was skipping with the tiara on his head and waving about a wand. Gail knew Holly was gearing for the clerk to give her a hard time about letting her son wear "girl things", and Gail felt herself tensing in response. She would do anything to make Holly feel better. If anyone made this little boy feel bad about being who he was, she'd make sure to give them a parking ticket a day for the rest of their bigoted lives.

"Hello!" the clerk greeted as they got to the register. "Find everything alright?"

"Yes, thank you," Holly said tightly, placing the dress onto the counter. She turned to Marty. "Put the tiara and the wand on the counter, sweetie."

Marty did as he was told, smiling up at the woman behind the counter. The cashier smiled back.

"Is this everything?"

They nodded.

The clerk pulled at the dress to scan it. "This is a pretty dress. My little sister got this one as well."

"It's mine!" Marty declared happily. The adorable child bounced up in down in excitement.

Holly went rigid prepared for the worst. Gail felt her hand reach out to brush against the other woman's. Their pinkies joined together.

"Well that's just unacceptable," the cashier said with a frown.

Gail felt her whole body go into attack mode. But before she could open her mouth, the cashier continued, "There are no shoes to match!"

Gail felt herself deflate, and Holly relaxed beside her.

"He's got some lovely silver shoes at home that will match perfectly," she told the woman.

"I'm sure you'll look quite dashing," the cashier assured as she scanned the items.

Gail and Holly's eyes met, and Gail squeezed her pinky to reassure her. She wanted to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. She tried to swallow them away as Holly turned to pay.

After shopping, they went for ice cream and walk through the park. Marty insisted he wear his tiara and wave his wand around. Holly let him, though she was watching everyone who even glanced there way closely.

"Holly, your ice cream is melting," Gail said, taking a lick of her own chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream. Holly's mint chocolate chip was dripping down between her fingers in her distraction.

Holly jerked her head back round to stare at the offending green liquid. "Oh."

"Yeah, so eat up, and stop worrying!" Gail insisted.

Holly looked sheepish. "I'm…not worrying."

She took a lick of ice cream, trying to control the mess. Gail became rather distracted for a moment, before blinking it away. "Uh huh, sure you aren't."

"I don't know to what you are referring, Officer," Holly said. Switching the cone from one hand to the other, Holly shook the sticky green glop from her hands.

"Watch it, nerd!" Gail cringed as the cream flung her way.

Holly smirked. "Big bad cop, afraid of a bit of frozen milk?"

Gail scowled. "No."

"You sure?" Holly had a glint in her eyes. Gail didn't like it one bit.

The cold hit her, before she realized what was happening, and ice cream was smeared from nose to cheek. She squealed and reeled back.

"You brat!" she exclaimed, brandishing her cone out in front of her like a knife.

Holly shrank back. "Now, Gail, don't do anything rash."

"Rash, huh?" Gail took two steps towards her. "Rash like this?"

She lunged, the chocolate connecting with her chin to streak up to her cheekbone. Holly squealed, and Marty, who had already finished his ice cream, danced around them giggling.

"I concede!" Holly said holding her arms up in surrender.

"That's right, you do," Gail said, starting to eat her cone again.

"Again!" Marty exclaimed.

"No, sweetie, no ice cream fights," Holly said, looking guilty for giving her son ideas, "Food isn't for playing with."

Martin pouted, but before long ran to magic something else with a wave of the sparkly star wand. The whole ice cream fight completely forgotten in his mind. Gail shook her head, kids had the weirdest, most magically ways about them. It's why she liked them more than adults. They were innocent, and saw only the good in everything.

As they continued walking, Holly abandoned her cone in the trash.

"What'd you throw good ice cream out for?"

"Too messy!"

Gail shook her head. She took another lick of her increasingly liquidizing ice cream. "Weirdo."

"Look who's talking!" Holly said with a laugh. She glanced up ahead as Martin danced in front of them. A couple walked by, and Holly tensed until they smiled down at Marty.

"Hey," Gail said her voice going soft. She bumped shoulders with the suddenly serious Holly. "You ok?"

"Yeah," Holly said trailing off. She glanced down, before meeting Gail's eyes. "It's just…" Her eyes traveled to her sweet child as he bent down to magic a flower with a point of magic wand.

"I know," Gail said, "The world is a cruel place. But just remember, you have raised a precious little boy who sees light in everything he sees."

Holly smiled sadly. "I just don't want the world to take that away from him."

Gail nodded. "He's going to have a hard time. I won't lie to you, but…he's got you. Your support is what he'll really need."

"He'll never lose it." There was such conviction in Holly's voice that Gail's heart melted.

She reached out her hand, and Holly took hers gratefully. "And I'm here for you both."

Holly's eyes flashed with something that Gail couldn't quite put her finger on before it was gone. "To arrest some people?"

Trying to look as serious as possible, Gail's chest puffed out in pride. "Yes, to arrest ALL the people!"

She threw her fist in the air, and Holly giggled until she felt the smack of melted cream rain down on her. Gail, it seemed, had forgotten all about the ice cream in hand. In her surprise, Gail jerked it back, and what was left of the scoop fell from the end of the cone to fall right into her cleavage. Gail screeched as the cold liquid dripped down into her shirt.

Holly's laugh was almost worth the cold and mess, Gail thought. Taking hold of the big glob still stuck between her breasts, she tossed it out onto the pavement, and shook the excess liquid from her hands.

The brunette ran from the spray, as fast as she could while still giggling.

"Great, now I'm a sticky mess," Gail huffed. She looked up at the Stewarts who were standing together, bent over with laughter at her. "If you two aren't careful, I'm going to have to initiate a group hug!"

Holly's eyes went wide, while Marty just open his arms up for Gail to hold. He had a big grin on his face, so Gail rushed them, catching Holly before she could get away. Martin squealed and giggled as he clutched her. Holly struggled from her hold, but Gail pulled her against her. She rubbed the liquid still on her hand over Holly's chest without actually thinking the action through. Her face turned beat red as she withdrew her hand like lightning had struck.

Their bodies still close, Gail clutching the other woman tightly against her. Martin wriggled free of her grasp, and so it was just them in a strange sort of embrace. Embarrassed, Gail let go immediately and stepped back.

The two idiots shifted, all shy and awkward now, around each other, until Holly suggested they leave and get cleaned up.

"Good plan," Gail said. She didn't know where to look anymore; so decided the sidewalk was safe.

When they got to the car, Holly insisted it was fine for Gail to sit on the seat, but Gail made her find a towel for her. She laid it across the seat so her stickiness wouldn't transfer. No need to mess up the upholstery because the cop was a klutz.

"Gail," Holly said after a little while of them driving. She glanced in her mirror at her now sleeping son.

"Hmm?" Gail felt herself getting sleepy against the window.

"Thank you for today," Holly said quietly. She reached over and took Gail's hand from the seat. She brought their joint hands up to rest on the center consol.

Gail smiled, feeling herself drifting off. Her eyes drooped closed at the sight of Holly's smile. "Anytime."

Holly squeezed their hands together. "You're amazing."

And Gail was asleep.


End file.
